


christmas special: the perfect boyfriend

by Jamjamsfics



Series: the "Out of The Ashes of a Hungry Fire" universe [4]
Category: IT (Movies - Muschietti), IT - Stephen King
Genre: Christmas, Christmas Fluff, Eddie Kaspbrak Loves Richie Tozier, M/M, Richie Tozier Loves Eddie Kaspbrak, don't have to read main fic but it is reccomended to completely understand the references, if you do read the main fic mind the tags and warnings, mention of underaged rape
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-25
Updated: 2019-12-25
Packaged: 2021-02-26 03:20:38
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,185
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21956539
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jamjamsfics/pseuds/Jamjamsfics
Summary: it's four months after Eddie and Richie got together, and almost five months after their lives changed forever.Richie tries to find the best Christmas present for Eddie and gets surprised with one for himself.fluff filled with snipets of angst and the mention of some pretty heavy stuff.
Relationships: Eddie Kaspbrak & Richie Tozier, Eddie Kaspbrak/Richie Tozier
Series: the "Out of The Ashes of a Hungry Fire" universe [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1542163
Comments: 14
Kudos: 71





	christmas special: the perfect boyfriend

**Author's Note:**

> warning: don't read this if you plan to read/haven't finished reading the main fic! this has some heavy spoilers for the ending.
> 
> if you do not plan on reading the main fic or don't care about spoiling the end, then continue on!
> 
> here is some explanations of some things in the fic that might be confusing to those who haven't read the main one (BIG SPOILERS BELOW):
> 
> \- Richie was molested and beaten by Patrick under the kissing bridge.  
> \- Patrick had carved "Property of Patrick" and "little whore" on Richie's stomach  
> \- Patrick also killed Eddie's mom and, after a while,Eddie was adopted by his first-period teacher, Ms. Cathy Trumen  
> \- Ms. Trumen is so accepting of Eddie and Richie's relationship because she herself is gay  
> \- Vic and Belch kinda stopped bullying the losers after what Patrick did to Richie and Eddie. 
> 
> I think i covered everything mentioned in this. if there's any more confusing bits, feel free to ask about them!  
> anyway, onto the fic!

December in Derry, Maine was brutal. Snow was almost a constant and the temperatures went as low as the mid-10s, sometimes lower, especially at night. It was a proper winter wonderland, aquept with frostbitten skin, constant runny and red noses, no feelings in your toes at all times, and the Closter phobic feeling of being trapped in multiple layers of clothing. But it was Christmas time, and the hype of presents, feasts, and festive lights helped to alleviate at least some of the negatives. 

Needless to say, Richie wasn’t the biggest fan of winter. He hated how dark it got so early, and how it felt like he was going to die if he spent too long outside. Riding his bike to the arcade or to the clubhouse was torture with the blistering wind on his face, and he knew the others felt the same, though they weren’t as outwardly upset about it. 

But Richie did love Christmas, and this Christmas was even better than all the others combined. It was the first he got to spend with his boyfriend, and though most of the town was ignorant to their new relationship, their friends and Eddie’s now adopted mom, Mrs. Cathy Trumen knew, and they were, thankfully, very supportive. Eddie and Richie were so lucky to be surrounded by tolerant people in an otherwise intolerant town. 

It was now a little over four months after their relationship began, and close to five months after Richie’s ‘incident’. Richie had gotten a lot better. The relationship helped that a lot, and just coping and letting time heal his wounds, both figuratively and physically, though there were still setbacks and triggers he needed to work through. For one, he was still unable to look at himself without a shirt on. The scars, although healed over, were still visible and the words they spelled out still stung to read. He barely paid attention to them and pretended they weren’t there. The good thing about winter was he had an excuse to never be shirtless other than showering, which he avoided most of the time. He maybe showered twice a week, or until Eddie refused to cuddle with him or be within two feet of him unless he showered. He wasn’t always this grimy. Before the incident, he showered every other night, but after....well, it wasn’t as easy as it should have been. 

_The store better fucking_ _have_ _it._ Richie thought to himself as he walked out of his house, wrapping a large scarf around his neck and covering his nose with it. he was in a fluffy parka and snow pants, aquept with a hat and the aforementioned scarf, yet even with all those cold protectant gear, he could already feel himself getting cold just by walking outside. Richie was a good boyfriend. He risked freezing to death for Eddie’s Christmas gift. Something he had been saving up for, even before they got together. He knew Eddie had been wanting this for a long time. A Walkman. Just a simple portable cassette player, but to Eddie, that kind of thing had been out of reach for a long time. Eddie’s late mother would never had let him have one. Not because of the music, but because of the risks involved. Distraction from the world around you, could cause you to fall or get hit by a car or blah blah blah. 

Richie would never admit to Eddie he was glad him mom was gone. Sure, she didn’t deserve to die in such a....brutal way, and Eddie certainly did not deserve to _find_ her in such a way, but he was better off now without her. He was adopted by a lovely woman who was kind and understanding and didn’t force him into outrageous paranoia at every turn. Nor did she force fake medication down his throat. He knew Eddie missed his mom and loved her despite what she put him through, but he was better off. That was the one thing Patrick did right. 

Hopping off his bike as he made it into town, he secured it to the bike rack and headed down the sidewalk. He was headed for the electronics store. Around this time of year, they were always busy, and the last time he checked, they were clean out of Walkmen, both older and newer. 

=================================================== 

Richie had gotten the last bit of his weekly allowance from his dad that Friday evening. His mom gave him half in the morning before school, securing it safely in a pouch so no one tried to steal it, though she wouldn’t know that this wasn’t an issue anymore with his, helpful but sometimes overbearing and annoying, body guards, Vic and Belch. The two former bullies of his quickly vowed to protect him and his friends from any of the others in the ‘bully gang’ at school. With the head honchos, the losers were relatively untouchable, especially Richie and Eddie, being the victims of Vic and Belch’s former friend. It seemed as if the two felt bad, as if Patrick’s attacks were somehow their fault, or partially. Either way, Richie had a bubble around him at all times, so bullying and money stealing was a no go. 

After receiving his last bit of cash from his dad before Wentworth departed just as quickly as he arrived, probably some meeting or something, Richie ran right up to his room to count his cash. “50....60....70, 80, 85, 86 87 88....” he continued to count in his head, grin widening on his face. “one thirty-five, fuck yeah, baby, here I come!” Richie practically flew down the stairs and out of his house, barely getting on his coat. It was only a few days before Christmas and after five, so the stores would surely be packed and it’d be a miracle if he so much as had a slim chance of getting one on time, but he had to at least try. 

Despite freezing his ass off because of the lack of layers he ran outside in, Richie rode like hell into town. 

And, it was just as he thought, the line at the electronics' store was out the door and Richie groaned as he approached. “ya gotta be fucking kidding me....” 

“don’t bother, kid.” as Richie got in line, preparing to stand for however long it takes, Vic’s voice rang out from behind. He turned around and blinked in confusion. “you here for Eddie’s Walkman, right?” 

Richie just nodded. 

“old man Chuck’s out.” he gestured to a sign on the door, one that Richie missed completely. “and he wont have another shipment in until after Christmas.” 

Richie looked over the sign several times as he processed what was being said. “after Christmas—wait, for real!? Ah balls!!” Richie shouted, stomping the ground with his foot for emphasis, drawing attention from the line goers. “what the hell am I gonna do, now!? I can’t ride my bike all the way to the _next town_!” he couldn’t as well ask his parents to take him, either. Surely, they wouldn't condone spending all his money on a gift for a ‘friend’. 

“well....I mean, I can help you.” 

“wait, really?” Richie turned to Vic with a skeptical look. “how?” 

“come with me, away from the crowd.” Vic gesture as he started to walk away from the shop. Richie still didn’t much trust the two ex-bullies, even though they’ve seemed to prove themselves pretty well. They even managed to stop Greta from bullying Beverly, which in it’s self was a feet. Still, though, they’ve been tortured by them for far too long to just start trusting them completely just yet. 

Despite the distrust, Richie followed. He was desperate to get Eddie this gift. 

Vic only lead Richie a few feet away before turning around with a grin. “old man Chuck is a close family friend. He lets me in on all the secrets, and I happen to know that he’s got a few of the slim ones he’s keeping in the back.” 

Richie blinked rapidly for a second. “shit, really? Wait, can you get him to sell me one?!” he started to understand what Vic was getting at. 

“yeah, kid, no problem. Stay close to the phone the next 24 hours, I'll call ya when he’s ready.” 

================================================== 

Vic stood by his word and, within approximately 12 hours, Richie’s phone rang and Vic informed him that Chuck would have the player today. But, he had to hurry, and hurry he did. 

“The new! Slim and sleek! Sony Walkman WM-101! With rechargeable batteries!!” read the poster on the window of the shop. There was a large red “SOLD OUT UNTIL AFTER CHRISTMAS” sign placed over top of the poster. “sold out my ass....” Richie grumbled. 

It wasn’t completely new, either. it had been out for about five years now, but it was the newest of it’s kind, and it was the one Eddie had been begging his mom to let him get for so long. Richie had been saving up his allowance for this moment, and, with the recent events, his parents doubled it, so he had plenty of money. It felt weird thinking about it like that. If he was never.....assaulted, his parents wouldn’t have doubled his allowance and he would have had to wait even longer to get this. It’s funny how the world works. Richie tried not to think about it like that, though, like his traumas lead to Eddie getting a Walkman for Christmas. No, Eddie was getting a Walkman for Christmas because he had the best boyfriend ever. That was the only reason that mattered, anyway. 

_Ding_ _ding_

The bell above the front door chimed, alerting the cashier to his presence. It was early enough in the morning to skip the rush of parents' last-minute buying for their children. 

“Richie Tozier, was it? Vic told me you’d be here any minute, but that was way faster than I thought!” the old man behind the counter laughed with a slight cough. “here for your Walkman? You got the cash?” 

Richie grinned, reaching in his pocket and pulling out a wad of cash. “you think I'd come all this way in the blistering cold and _not_ bring cash? You wound me, sir.” Richie made his way to the counter, placed down the wad of cash, and leaned on the glass. “so, may I have one, uh....blue Walkman WM-101?” 

The man grinned. “sure thing, kid.” he took the cash and counted it out before placing it in his cash register and leaning down, grunting as he slowly stood back up. “here we are. Brand new, right from the factory. Who’s this for, kid? This is a pretty big gift for a child to buy.” 

“oh, it’s for my boy--” Richie stopped himself just in time before he spilled the beans. He was so used to calling Eddie his boyfriend around their friends and Mrs. Cathy that he forgot they had to be secretive in public. It was just so....normal to them. “uh...boy...boy best friend. Ya know, cause I have a girl best friend and a boy best friend.” he grinned and knew he wasn’t fooling anyone with that line, especially by the face the man gave him in response. 

Everyone in town knew who Richie was. He was the boy who was raped under the Kissing Bridge. Even though it had been about four months, he still got looks and heard gossip around town. There was no way this man was so far under a rock that he hadn’t heard what happened. And now he knew he had a boyfriend. Richie was sure that the man was judging him harshly. Probably thinking that Richie had asked for it like Patrick’s lawyer attempted to hint at. Just because he was gay doesn’t mean he wanted _anything_ that had happened to him that day. The man would never believe him. He was definitely looking at Richie as if he were a gross perverted sinner who faked a rape accusation to get attention. 

Richie started to breath heavy and snatched the Walkman, running out of the store before the man could stop him. “wait- boy, what the hell!? Come back, you forgot your change!!” Richie had given him 10 dollars more than what was needed, but he didn’t care about the change. He needed to get out of there and away from judging eyes. 

\----------------------------------------------------- 

**December 25** **th** **, 1989**

Richie had his own Christmas with his parents and, since he was already given one of his biggest gifts that year, his Gameboy, which was given to him in the hospital after the incident, his gifts weren’t the best they had been in recent years. he did get two more games for the Gameboy, however, and a whole heap of change for the arcade, but other than that, it was mostly clothes. Not that he wasn’t grateful, his parents worked hard for these gifts. It was just a tad underwhelming. 

He was a bit distracted, though, since right after Christmas dinner, he was headed for Eddie’s to spend the rest of the day with him, and give him his gift. 

Richie excused himself from dinner after finishing the meal, gave his gramma a kiss on the cheek, and ran to the door, quickly putting on his shoes and coat. 

“wait- Richie, where are you going?” his mom called as she stood up from the table. 

“Eddie’s, remember?” he grinned. “we’re, uh....hanging out for a few. I'll be back later tonight, don’t worry.” 

She sighed, running a hand through her hair. She got soft over the last few months. She just couldn’t bare to say no when Richie’s happiness was so utterly important to uphold. After everything, he’s been through.... “fine. Okay, just be careful, Rich, and call me before you leave!” 

“Yeah, sure thing, see ya!” Richie grabbed the gift he had shittily wrapped up for Eddie and out the door he went. 

\--------------------------------------------------- 

“Mrs. Trumen, thank you so much for this lovely gift, I do need more socks.” he always tried to be proper around Cathy, supposedly trying to impress her as her future son-in-law of sorts, but Cathy didn’t need all of that, she liked Richie enough already. Plus, she knew how he really was. She was his teacher, after all. 

Richie and Eddie were sat on the Livingroom couch, Richie still in his church clothes as after opening presents, they’d always show up to church for whatever events they had, and Eddie still in his Christmas themed pjs, fuzzy pants with a red and green pattern of presents and reindeer, and a long-sleeved long john shirt with a cartoon depiction of Rudolf. Eddie was leaning into Richie’s side, one of Richie’s arms around his waist. Richie held in his free hand a pair of red and green socks that said naughty or nice on either one. 

Cathy shook her head a bit with a smile. “oh, don’t flatter me, Richard, they were an afterthought. The _real_ gift Is the one Eddie wants to give you.” 

Eddie grinned wide as he hopped up from the couch, making his way to the tree in the room. 

Richie had a similar grin, watching his cute little boyfriend hop over and grab his gift. He sat up slightly. “aw, Spaghetti, you got me a gift?” he took it from Eddie as he was handed the box. “what is it, a thousand kisses? You know those are my favorite~” he winked and Eddie blushed. 

“Oh shut up and open the gift, Tozier.” 

Richie snorted out a laugh, sitting back again as Eddie took his spot back on the couch. “fine, fine.” he got to opening the gift, grin widening as he saw the familiar large realistic red lips and teeth. “no way.” he opened it all the way, revealing a record sleeve that read “Rocky Horror Picture Show” with familiar characters on the cover. “babe, holy shit, where’d you find this!?” 

“We looked in several record stores, it was really hard to find!” Eddie was grinning from ear to ear. He knew Richie would love this gift. Rocky Horror was one of his favorite films, and after he made them all watch it at his welcome home party after he was released from the hospital, Eddie knew just how important this movie really was to Richie, as odd as it was. 

Cathy gave the two a smile as she snuck herself out of the living room to give them some time alone. The two didn’t seem to notice that she left, and that was just fine for her. 

“oh, this is so cool. Now I can listen to it whenever I want!” he smiled sweetly, arms pulling around Eddie for a close hug. “thank you, my love.” 

Eddie practically buried his face in Richie’s neck, pulling just as close, feeling nice and calm in his arms. 

They stayed like that for a good while before Richie came to his senses and remember Eddie’s gift. He was very one-track minded, and the thought completely flew out of his mind as soon as Eddie gave him his own gift. 

“oh shit, I have a gift for you, too!” he pulled from the hug, Eddie almost whining from the sudden loss of contact, though he watched as Richie got up and grabbed the poorly wrapped gift. 

Flopping back down, he couldn’t help but grin from ear to ear as he handed over the present. “I know for a _fact_ you’re going to love this!” 

Eddie was a bit skeptical, though Richie didn’t seem to mess around when it came to gifts, so he had high hopes for this one. It was small, but even small things can be massive on the inside. 

He got to work on opening the present, eyes going wide as the paper tore away and revealed the white lettering of ‘Walkman’. “Rich!?” Richie was like the Cheshire cat at this point, grin so wide it took up his entire face. Eddie tore away the paper completely and almost screamed, but instead, let out a squeak and clamped his mouth shut with his hand. “how....I mean really, _how!?”_ he managed to say under the blockage of his hand. 

“been saving up my allowance for a while. Mom and dad.....well, they started giving me more money after....ya know, and well...damn, Eds, you’ve been wanting one of these for _ages!_ How could I not?” 

“oh, Richie.... Richie, this is too much.... it’s so expensive....” 

Richie gave a soft chuckle and a snort, shaking his head. “it might be expensive, but nothing’s too much if it means making _you_ happy.” 

“oh, Rich....” Eddie threw his arms around Richie’s neck, holding him close. “thank you.... you’re the best boyfriend a guy could ever ask for....” 

Richie grinned. He knew this gift would be the best gift ever. “I try my best....~” 

The two shared a soft kiss, holding each other close as they could for the remainder of the time before Richie had to head home. 


End file.
